Preparation of dehydrated pre



- the function of softening the of hot moisture is carried out food products are of a type steam-jacketed conveyors,

" sure which is equivalent a have to be fed.

charged into a series or steam .iacketed conveyors II, 28 and II. The legumes travel back and forth through the length of these conveyors while steam is passing through the surrounding'iackets. If desired, in the top conveyor 2| steam or hot water may be introduced through mingle directly with the legumes passing through the top conveyor 28. The softening or tempering of the legumes may be accomplished both by the use of the tempering bin 24 and by the introduction of steam or hot water through the pipe '28 or by either one ofthese methods, as long as legumes by the use in cases where the such as driedpeas and beans which require such softening and moistoning. Other food products have suflicient inherent softness and moisture content and in the case oi such food products this tempering may be omitted,

In passing through the steam jacketed con-- veyor '26, 26 and 21, the solid legumes are conveyed by the usual spiral conveyor. No substantial cooking of the product takes but the solid material is pro-heated so that it emerges from the last conveyor into the conduit 29 at a temperature in the neighborhood moisture'content of the of 250 F., with the legumes between 18% I and 30%. Up to the present point the legumes. therefore, have merely been moistened, softened and pre-heated. v

The rollers 80 and 8| are large size and extremely heavy. These'rollers are mounted on shafts 82" and 33 which rotate in bearings 34 and". The bearings "tare adjustable later ally in slots 88 and 81 .formed in the end plates .38. The adjustment of the bearings may be accomplished in any desired manner; such as bythe use of adjustment bolt II and II. The bolts and 40 are adjusted so that the rollers exert a'strong pressur against each other during rotation. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the particular rollers used exert a presto forty tons pressing against forty tons. I

Extending the length oi each roller are gas burners ti and "which direct gas flames II and It all along the length of the rollers onthe pe- .;riphery thereof.

Other forms of heating may be utilized, but it is necessary that the rollers be P. Any suitable means rotating the rollers 125 R. P. M.

- The rollers must be so heated and exert such at a speed of approximately fa pressure as to cause instantaneous pre-cookdehydrating, cell rupturing, and flaking of 1 .nlegume which are fed thereto in a solid split state withsubstantial moisture content. moisture The with the heat and pressure between the rollers causes the starch cells to rupture and also causes instantaneous cooking. By having-the legumes pre heated, the capacity of the rollers SI and ii is stepped up materially. I! the legumes were not pro-heated therewould be too great a cooling effect on the rollers and a lighter load would With the present arrangement, however, a relatively heavy load can be fed to the rollers 30 and II and the rollers can be rotated at a relatively high speed, such as 125 R. P. M. to greatly increase the capacity and the economy oi the operation.

In passing through the rollers 80 and ii t e the pipe 28 to maintained at a heat of between 400 and 600' may be provided for content of the solid legumes together place in the of continuous strips 01 varying width which later break up into shorter lengths due to the thinness of the material. During normal operation the legumes are in contact with the rollers only at the bite oi the rollers, and except for an occasional particle, which may be removed by scraper blades 5|, do not remain on the periphery of the rollers. The flakes are immediately withdrawnfrom the or may be permitted to These rollers are to fall by gravity. be distinguished from. the

' rollers used as ordinary atmospheric drum dryers. The ordinary atmospheric drum dryers can only operate effectively on a pulpy liquid and are for the purpose of dehydrating only, because the pulpy liquids in other processes are already precooked. Where pulpy liquids are fed to drying rollers the rollers are heated, usually by steam therewithin, to a lower temperature and do not exert as great a pressure. Furthermore, the ordinary atmospheric drum drying rollers usually,

rotate at a speed of about 12 R. P. M., and the pulpy liquid remains on the rollers for about a half a revolution, to-ei'fect complete drying. and is then removed by scraper blades.

From the rollers Ill-3| the flakes may be conveyed to a hammer mill or cutter l8 and then either to asitter 41, ii sifting is necessary, or through a by-pass 48 directly into a packer 48. If the legumes are fed into a sitter some of the separated material may be sent back through the hammer mill through a conduit 50 for further po'wdei'ing.

.While the powder form vof the final product is the most desirable, powdering is unnecessary and the legumes may be used in the flake form of Fig. 3. These flakes, or the powder made therefrom, are highly soluble even in cold water. By mixing the flake or powder with suitable seasoning materials such as onion powder, spiced salt, yeast, and powdered milk, a very excellent soup concentrate may be formed. This concentrate will dissolve instantly in water to form a thick soup, puree. or gravy. Due to the complete pro-cooking which took place in the rollers the palatability and because soups are usually served in hot condition. Due to the use of the- -improved process,

and the high degree of solubility of the perfectly pr'e-cooked material. a greater economy in use is tfected than with other known soup concentrates. For example, three ounce of the powder will make one and one-half quarts of soup. 1

All of the apparatus described and shown in Fig. 1 is not necessary to carry out the process as long as suitable instrumentalities are employed, in the caseof food products of the pea and bean type, for hulling, moisturesoftening, and preheating before the legumes are fed between the rollers "-II and as long as the food products of other types when fed to the rollers 3i are in a pressure utilized, the heat bite of the rollers by suction,

However, hot water is usually added instead of cold merely to improve solid subdivided state and have substantial moisture content.

Various changes and modifications maybe made in the exact method of procedure, and all of such changes ar contemplated as may-come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a method of preparing dehydrated precooked legumes the steps 01' hulllng the legumes,

subjecting the legumes to the action of heat and moisture to soften and pre-heat the same without affecting their solid state or rupturing their cells while leaving the legumes with substantial heated to a temperature of between 400 F. and

600 F. subjecting the moistened legumes in the subjecting the legumes to the action of heat and moisture to soften and pre-heatthe same without aflecting their solid state or rupturing their cells while leaving the legumes with substantial moisture content, and then subjecting the mois- 'moisture content, and then by means of rollers tened legumes in the solid state to heat and high mechanical pressure by means oi heated rollers out aflecting their solid state or rupturing their cells while leaving the legumes with substantial moisture content, and then heat pressing the tempered legumes from saidsolid moistened state into water thin soluble flakes while utilizing heat of between 400 F. and 600 F. and mechanical pressure sumcient at the particular heat to cause instantaneous rupturing oi the cells, pre-cooking and dehydrating.

4. In a method of preparing dehydrated precooked legumes the steps of hulllng the legumes, subjecting the legumes to the action of heat and moisture to soften and pro-heat the same without affecting their solid state or rupturin their cells while leaving the legumes with substantial moisture content, and then passing the legumes in said pre-heated moistened solid state betweenhot pressure rollers which are heated to between 400 F. and 600 F. and exert such high pressure as to simultaneously cause instantaneous precooking, dehydrating, cell rupturing and flaking.

5. In a method of preparing dehydrated precooked legumes the steps of hulllng and splitting the legumes, subjecting the split legumes to the action of heat and moisture to soften and preheat the same without aitecting their solid split state or rupturing the starch cells while leaving them with substantial moisture content, and then passing the split legumes in saidpre-heated moistened state between hot pressure rollers which are heated to between 400 1". and 600 1'. and exert such high pressure as to simultaneously cause instantaneous pre-oooking, dehydrating, cell rupturing and flaking.

6. In a method of preparing dehydrated precooked vegetables the steps of dividing the vegetables into particles of less than original size, and subjecting the particles in a moist solid state to heat and high mechanical pressure by means of heated rollers at a temperature of between 400 and 600 it, the pressure being suiiicient at the particular heat to cause instantaneous rupturing oi the cells, ore-cooking and dehydrating.

7. In a method of preparing dehydrated precooked vegetables, the steps of dividing the vegetables into particles of less than original size, and subjecting the particles in a moist solid state to heat and mechanical pressure to change the particles into water thin soluble flakes, the heat being between ;400 1". and 600 F. and the mechanical pressure being suflicient at the particular heat to cause instantaneous rupturingor the cells, pro-cooking and dehydrating.

CHAS. A. KRAUSE, JR. 

